Postal card



Patented ug. 17, 1926.

lUNITED@ STATES MARY HUIVIPHBEY asrar,

or, usING SUN, INDIANA,

POSTAL CARD.

` lApplication filed April 22, 1924:. Serial NTO. 708,292.`

My invention relates to improvements in postal cardsand it consists of the constructions andl arrangements substantially as herein described-and claimed.

AnA object of the invention is to provide apostal card which has combined therewith the elements of an envelope thereby constituting the card of a postal packet which may contain a gift or ymessage to supplement the greeting printed otherwise applied to the packet either on the front or rear. 1 c

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined postal' card and 4envelope, the elements of which bea-r reciprocal relation to each other, the elements of the envelope serving to conceal an object contained thereby and the elements of the postal card stiffening the envelope to furnish a little extray protection.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device ofthe character which may contain a Christmas gift, in some instances there being a' hole at one edge by which it is readily hung on a Christmas tree.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved postal card,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, Y

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the rear of the postal card,

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the blank from which the back of the envelope is made.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a postal card having neither hole nor accordion fold,

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a postal card having a. hole but no accordion fold,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a postal card having an accordion fold but no hole.

In carrying out the invention provision is made of a postal card l which is nearly similar in all respects to postal cards as commonly known. It is made of a stiff ma@ terial, cardboard or the like, as is quite customary. At the front there are printed the usual legends 2 relating to thepostal address, the'matter o-f correspondence, etc.v

and greetings 3 appropriate to the occassion which it is intended to lcelebrate. It

is optional vIvhet'her the k greetings be printed on the front as -in Figure 1 or on the back as in Figure'g. Both sidesfmay be "printed if desired. Y f

A pocket-is formed over the entire back 'of the postal card by means of'apaper blank t (Fig. creased at 5, 6Y and 7 at opposite sides, It also has a tongue or flap along the bottom ledge which is creased at`8,19 vand 10.

These various creases provide an accor'- .dion fold 1nl the form of an envelopein Figs.V 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 which permits of collapsing the pocket -or envelope back against the'rear of the postal c'ard, or permits of,

the extension of the pocket as when containing some gift or message written on additional paper. Those portions of the blank 4; which appear beyond the creases 7 and 10 provide flanges 11 and 12 which are pasted or otherwise secured to the postal card l either on lthe front surface as shown in Figure l, or on the back surface. In assembling the pocket 4' upon the postal card, the various folds along the bottom edge are suitably tucked under so that a neat, tight and flat arrangement results. This is readily done in practice.

The device is supplemented by a separate closure flapA 13 which is creased twice; once at 14 to define a flange 15 and again at 16 to define a cover portion which closes the pocket twhen extended as in Figure 2. A hole 17 is punched at one edge of tbe postal card, forpermitting attaching` the package on a Christmas tree as illustrated in Figure 7, when so desired. The hole may be omit-ted if desired yas shown in Fig. 8. By way of variation the accordion fold may be left off and a plain envelope used as in Figs. 5 and 7 Figure 7 shows a hole used in combination with thistype of envelope, while in Figure 5 the. hole is omitted.

It is intended that the device shall em- This Ablank is similarly body'the advantageous features ofboth a tection than the ordinary fragile paper en- Y velope affords. Y

The envelopev or packet furthermore affords means for sending an additional gift. This may be money, a handkerchief, etc.. or it may be a written message to supplement the one already printed on the postal card either front or back. Use is made of aps 13 to close the envelope, and if it is so desired, the edge of the flaps may be gumrned so that it may actually be seal-ed. The provision of the hole 17, adds a third advantage to the device, namely, that of hanging the packet on a Christmas tree.

The use of the combin-ed envelope and postal card is not confined to any particular use or any particular purpose, the Christmas, Easter, and other seasons, as Well as birthdays, etc. being the various occasions to which the postal card is adaptable. It should also be quite obvious that the particular manner of cutting the component parts and assembling them is variable. The device may be made in various sizes and in different Ways as proposed in, Figures 5 to 8, inclusive, and still keep Within the spirit of the invention.

I claim A container consisting of a relatively stiff cardboard front and a one-piece back comprising a main portion corresponding in size and shape to the cardboard front, and having at its sides accordion' folded Wings provided at their free edges with flanges overlying or overlapping the cardboard front at the ends thereof and adhesively secured thereto and also provided with an accordion bottom flap overlying the lower edge of the carboard front, said side and bottom flaps forming a frame-like finish along the base and side edges of the cardboard front, and a closure flap made separate from the front and back and having one edge adhesively secured along the outer side of the upper edge of the cardboard front and a portion adapted to be extended over the open mouth of the pocket Jformed by t-he front and back and accordion ends, and adapted to overlie the upper edge and be adhesively secured to the main portion of the back, completing a frame-like iinish around the margin of the cardboard front and permitting a reasonable adjustment of the container for diiierent quantities of `filling as and for the purposes set orth.y

MARY HUMPHREY ESPEY. 

